Table-mat.



No. 655,308. Patented Aug. 7,1900.

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TABLE MAT.

(Applicahiozi filed Kay 12, 1900.)

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NITED STATES WILLIAM w. ROBINSON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TABLE- MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,308, dated August '7, 1900.

Application filed May 12, 1900. Serial No. 16,529. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM W. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Table-Mats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to table-mats, and particularly to mats which are designed to be laid upon the surface of a dining-table beneath the tablecloth in order to protect the polished surface of the table from being injured by hot dishes placed thereon; and its object is to provide a mat composed of an interior substance, such as asbestos or similar non-heat-conducting material, covered over with some suitable cloth-like material and of sufficient size to cover the top of the table and yet capable of being readily folded into convenient shape for packing away when not in use. Mats composed of interior layers of asbestos covered over with canton-flannel or some similar substance have been provided for the purpose of protecting the surfaces of tables against hot dishes; but when these mats are of a sufficient size to cover the table they become inconvenient by reason of the fact that asbestos cannot be folded over without breaking it and ultimately destroying the mat, and the mats therefore are unhandyand unwieldy if made of the size above suggested. One of the objects of my invention is to provide mats which shall overcome these difficulties.

To that end my invention consists generally in constructing the mat with one or more layers of sheet-asbestos or similar material divided into sections, which are secured in position, slightly separated from each other, by being fastened to one or more sheets of suitable flexible material, such as cantonfianncl. In the construction shown the asbestos sections are secured between two sheets of flexible cloth-like material, one on each side, stitched together between the sections and also provided with a suitable binding around the edge to hold together the edges of the several layers of asbestos and cloth of which the mat is composed. When the interior non-conducting material is composed of two or more layers, another piece of flexible material, preferable of strong sheeting of the same size as the mat, is placed between and cemented to the layers of asbestos.

I accomplish this, object as hereinafter specified and as illustrated in the drawings.

That whichl regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top or plan view. Fig. 2 isa cross-section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows the mat folded into a portable condition.

4 indicateslayers of asbestos or some similar substance which is not a conductor of heat which are divided into sections, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and which when the sections are placed together conform to the desired shape and size of the entire mat. The sections 4 4 are slightly separated from one another to allow folding, as hereinafter described.

5 indicates coverings, of canton-flannel or any suitable cloth-like material, of any size and shape which may be desired for the mat and which are placed on each side of the inner asbestos layers 4 4 and are stitched together through the asbestos around the edge and between the sections, as is indicated by the dotted lines on Fig. 1.

6 (see Fig. 2) indicates a middle sheet of strong sheeting or any other suitable flexible material which is placed between and cemented to the asbestos layers 4 4, as shown in Fig. 2, in which case the two outer coverings 5 5 and the inner layer 6 will be stitched together between the sections of' asbestos sheeting 4 4.

7 indicates a binding, of any appropriate material,which is placed around the edges of the mat in such a way that the binding and the layers of asbestos and the cloth covering may be all stitched together, so as to hold them firmly in place. If desired, a second row of stitching 8 may be sewed through all the layers a little distance inside of and parallel with the outer edge of the mat.

It is obvious that the mat may be folded upon itself upon the spaces between the asbestos layers into the shape indicated in Fig. 3.

I have shown the mat as circular and as composed of four sections of asbestos sheet ing. I do not confine myself, however, to

this shape of mat nor to that number of asbestos sections, as it is obvious that the shape of the mat may be circular, oval, square, rectangular, or any other desired shape, according to the shape of the table which it is designed to cover, and that the number of sections of asbestos sheeting may be varied to suit the circumstances of any particular case. I have spoken also of the interior layers being of asbestos sheeting, and that is what I prefer to use. It is obvious, however, that some other similar substance which is not a conductor of heat may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

- 1. The combination with two outer sheets of flexible material, of a plurality of sections of non-heat-conducting sheets slightly separated from one another at their adjacent edges and arranged between said outer sheets and secured thereto, substantially as de scribed.

2. A table-1n at com posed of two outer sheets of flexible material, and a plurality of sections of non-heat-conducting material arranged between said outer sheets, said outer sheets being stitched together between said sections, substantially as described.

3. A table-mat composed of a plurality of sections of non heat conducting sheets slightly separated from one another, and a backing of flexible material secured to said sections, whereby the mat may be folded between said sections, substantially as described.

4. A mat consisting of an inner sheet of flexible material, a plurality of sections of non-heat-conducting sheets placed on each side of and secured to said inner sheets and slightly separated from each other, and outer coverings of flexible material, the Whole being secured together, substantially as described.

WILLIAM W. ROBINSON.

Vitnesses: V

O. E. PIOKARD, JULIA M. BRIsToL. 

